The Marbled Cat

Marbled cat species felis marmorata rare southeast asian cat family felidae often referred to as a miniature version of the unrelated clouded leopard the marbled cat is about the size of a domestic cat.

The marbled cat.

The marbled cat was once considered to belong to the pantherine lineage of cats. The tail is very long and bushy and well adapted to its arboreal lifestyle. The marbled cat s long bushy tail provides the balance needed for moving around in trees. The marbled cat pardofelis marmorata is a small wild cat native from the eastern himalayas to southeast asia where it inhabits forests up to 2 500 m 8 200 ft altitude as it is present in a large range it has been listed as near threatened on the iucn red list since 2015.

Genetic analysis has shown that it is closely related with the asian golden cat and the bay cat which diverged from the other felids about 9 4 million years ago. There have also been observations of the species in secondary forests cleared areas or agricultural plantations and at lower elevations. The marbled cat is forest dependent and appears to be mainly associated with moist and mixed deciduous evergreen tropical forests. Young marbled cats start climbing trees at 2 months old.

It measures roughly 45 60 cm 18 24 inches long excluding a tail of approximately the same length. The marbled cat s specific body posture which is characterized by its arched back can be seen when the animal stands or during periods of rest. Like the clouded leopard the marbled cat also has relatively enlarged upper canines. The marbled cat has a short more rounded head than other felines with a wide forehead and large pupils.

The marbled cat pardofelis marmorata is a small wild cat of south and southeast asia its head and body length is 45 62 cm 18 24 and it weighs 2 5 kg 4 11 lb.